While world leaders, including from the World Travel and Tourism Industry are currently meeting for COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, deadly fighting between Hamas and Israel just restarted.
The UN agreed climate action can’t wait.
While the host country UAE is a key geopolitical partner in the region, the summit’s representative says the focus will stay on climate.
Indonesian President Widodo calls on the US “to do more to stop the atrocities in Gaza,” declaring that a “ceasefire is a must for humanity.
“You don’t have to pick a side, you can stand with Israel and care about innocent civilians in Palestine” The Liberal Democrats’ Layla Moran shares her view on the Israel-Gaza war, after sharing she has lost a family member during the conflict
“It’s increasingly frustrating,” Racquel Moses, U.N. global climate ambassador for the Caribbean and CEO of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, told Devex. “We’re all fighting about the pieces on the table when the table itself is at stake.”
When COP 28 opened its doors this morning, more than 8 were killed and dozens injured in Gaza. By noon Dubai time, this number went up to 32. Islamic Jihad took responsibility for a bomb attack on Southern Israel at the same time.
The Essential Role the UAE has on Climate Change, Gaza, and Israel
When COP28 opened Israeli warplanes were dropping leaflets on civilians in Bani Suhaila and Qarara, Gaza to evacuate.
Many view the United Arab Emirates, the host of GOP 28 an important player in the region due to its temporary seat in the U.N. Security Council, the normalization of its relationship with Israel in 2020, and its recent membership in the BRICs group.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged last week, that it will be difficult to ignore the elephant in the room. “It is clear that we have a distraction about the big challenges that the international community faces about climate change.”
137 Countries including Palestine & Israel are in Dubai
Over 137 countries are expected to be represented at COP 28 by heads of state or government, according to a provisional list, including Israel and Palestine. U.S. President Joe Biden does not plan to attend, but US Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Dubai along with John Kerry.
Peace Through Tourism Failed
It appeared the attempt by Ajay Prakashm president of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism a week ago failed. In welcoming the stop of fighting in Gaza and Israel 6 days ago, he said a week ago:
“On behalf of the global travel and tourism industry, one of the drivers of world peace, we also urge all parties to take this critical window and do everything possible to open this window wider and stop the suffering of humans.”
World Tourism Network wants the 137 countries attending COP28 to do something
Today the World Tourism Network appealed to the 137 participating countries in Dubai to do something.
Alain St. Ange, the VP for Government relations for the World Tourism Network, and a former tourism minister for Seychelles explains: “We don’t know what to do, but 137 countries at one event is an opportunity to talk sense, so the suffering on all sites in this terrible conflict threatening world peace, climate change progress, and of course the global travel and tourism industry can be stopped. Therefore we are not completely speechless. I am scratching my head about today’s development, and our appeal is: Do something!”
The List of Countries everyone is looking at :
1. Albania 2. Algeria 3. Andorra 4. Angola 5. Antigua and Barbuda 6. Armenia 7. Austria 8. Bahamas 9. Bahrain 10. Bangladesh 11. Barbados 12. Belarus 13. Belgium 14. Belize 15. Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 16. Botswana 17. Brazil 18. Brunei Darussalam 19. Bulgaria 20. Cabo Verde 21. Central African Republic 22. Chad 23. Colombia 24. Comoros 25. Congo 26. Cook Islands 27. Côte d’Ivoire 28. Croatia 29. Cuba 30. Cyprus 31. Czechia 32. Democratic Republic of the Congo 33. Djibouti 34. Dominica 35. Egypt 36. Estonia 37. Eswatini 38. Ethiopia 39. European Union 40. Fiji 41. Finland 42. France 43. Gabon 44. Gambia 45. Georgia 46. Germany 47. Greece 48. Guatemala 49. Guinea-Bissau 50. Guyana 51. Holy See 52. Honduras 53. Hungary 54. Iceland 55. India 56. Indonesia 57. Iraq 58. Ireland 59. Israel 60. Italy 61. Japan 62. Jordan 63. Kazakhstan 64. Kenya 65. Kyrgyzstan 66. Latvia 67. Lebanon 68. Lesotho 69. Libya 70. Liechtenstein 71. Lithuania 72. Luxembourg Page 3 73. Malawi 74. Malaysia 75. Maldives 76. Malta 77. Marshall Islands 78. Mauritania 79. Monaco 80. Mongolia 81. Montenegro 82. Morocco 83. Mozambique 84. Namibia 85. Nauru 86. Nepal 87. Netherlands 88. Nigeria 89. Niue 90. North Macedonia 91. Norway 92. Pakistan 93. Palau 94. Papua New Guinea 95. Paraguay 96. Philippines 97. Poland 98. Portugal 99. Republic of Moldova 100. Romania 101. Rwanda 102. Saint Kitts and Nevis 103. Saint Lucia 104. Samoa 105. Sao Tome and Principe 106. Saudi Arabia 107. Senegal 108. Serbia 109. Seychelles 110. Sierra Leone 111. Slovakia 112. Slovenia 113. Somalia 114. South Africa 115. Spain 116. Sri Lanka 117. State of Palestine 118. Suriname 119. Sweden 120. Switzerland 121. Syrian Arab Republic 122. Tajikistan 123. Togo 124. Tonga 125. Trinidad and Tobago 126. Tunisia 127. Türkiye 128. Turkmenistan 129. Tuvalu 130. Ukraine 131. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 132. United Republic of Tanzania 133. Uzbekistan 134. Viet Nam 135. Yemen 136. Zambia 137. Zimbabwe
(eTN): COP 28: The Fight is on in Dubai and Gaza – Do Something! | re-post license | post content
